Deodorizing Your Home

When you first walk into your home or apartment, what do you smell? Does the smell of dirty garbage, dirty laundry or a skunk permeate the home? Is the interior smell inviting or repulsive? How do others react when they first walk into your home? Foul odors within your home may be subtle or strikingly unbearable, but unpleasant nonetheless. Most are well aware of these odors in their home, while others might need a friend or family member to point it out. If you are having odor problems in your home or apartment, here are a few things you can do and should keep in mind.

What Makes Your House Smell

Water Damage

Mold Growth

Smoke Damage

Dirty garbage, laundry

Pet/Animals

Find Root Cause

Odorous smells might be limited to one room of the house, or the smells might be found throughout the house. Finding the root cause of the smell and seeking a solution is where you should start first. Below are some of the common source of foul odors in the home, along with how you can start to remove the odor.

Kitchen: Often the number one source of foul odors in the home is in the kitchen. Foul odors may be caused from a variety of reasons, including a sink full of old dishes, dirty dish rags or towels, an overflowing trash, a dishwasher that smells like mildew, and more. Simply staying on top of the dishes, taking out the trash every few days, replacing your dish rags regularly, and occasionally cleaning your refrigerator, dishwasher or sink disposal can work wonders.

Laundry Room: Piles of dirty laundry left unprocessed in your laundry room can cause the odors to build up relatively quickly. Especially if you have dirty dish rags, burp rags, or soiled clothes left in the room for several days without washing. Leaving the clothes in the washer can also cause a mildew smell to develop and ruin your clothes. Keep pushing your laundry through the laundry cycle to avoid foul odors, and if that doesn’t help the smell, be sure to inspect the the filter in your washer, as a sock may have gotten stuck in it, causing a buildup of dirty water to develop.

Bathroom: Smells in the bathroom are inevitable, but some may persist more than usual. Mold or mildew may develop in bathrooms due to poor ventilation and moisture from showers and baths. If you spot mold growing on the upper walls of the bathroom, be sure to open the windows for more air flow and circulation. Old bath mats and towels in the bathroom may also be long over due for a washing and cleaning.

Smoke Damage: If your home has experienced a fire or was previously owned by a smoker, smoke damage likely permeates throughout the house. Smoke throughout the house might be more difficult to remove, as it may have already absorbed into the walls, floors, and building itself. When dealing with smoke damage, extensive cleaning is required. Depending on the severity of the smoke damage, sometimes the walls may need to be stripped and repainted, the carpets ripped up and replaced, and other professional equipment may be used to remove the smells.

Water Damage: A musty smell of mildew in the home usually only means one thing, water damage. First and foremost, it is important to find the source of the water damage and resolve it immediately. Whether it be a broken pipe or a leaking appliances, it is important to resolve the issue before more damage incurs. Increased ventilation is also important to air out the area and prevent mold growth.

Pets: Homes with indoor pets are more likely to have odor problems than homes without. Animals shed fur into the carpet which contains oils and seep into carpet fibers and smell. Pets also tend to make more messes, track more dirt inside, and leave unexpected surprises. If you have indoor pets, be sure they bathe regularly, and their litter boxes and pet cages are regularly cleaned.

As you can see, removing the smells and odors in your home can be as simple as changing your day to day lifestyle habits. Some home odors, however, may require more professional attention, such as dealing with smells associated with smoke damage, mold damage or water damage. In these circumstances, Tobin Cleaning & Restoration offers the professional equipment and experience needed in handling these major odor problems in homes and businesses. Give our cleaning and restoration company a call today if you would like to receive a free estimate (208) 523-1080.

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Our Idaho Falls cleaning and restoration company is with you from START TO FINISH. If you’ve experienced damage at your home or business, call us anytime, 24/7 at (208) 523-1080. Haven’t decided who to choose? You can contact us at any time for a free estimate and inspection of your damaged areas.